End of The World (Azur Lane: Origins 3)

Chapter 11: Annihilation

I was peacefully reading one of the books I borrowed from Commander Misa when I heard her voice over the loudspeakers. 'The patrol fleet has spotted Brisbane leading a massive Siren fleet towards HQ! All ships are to sortie immediately!' So she's already back, huh?

Barely halfway to the docks, the base's air raid sirens interrupted Commander Misa repeating her message. Hundreds, no, thousands of aircraft were approaching, barely visible on the horizon. If that many planes bomb HQ...

Picking up my pace, I summoned my rigging and charged in the direction of the enemy aircraft. I glanced around and saw the others doing the same. Our carriers were launching their fighters but it wouldn't be enough.

The sky was covered in planes and we were following them back in the direction of HQ, trying to shoot down as many as we could. But there were too many. Way too many.

When I could see the base again, Commander Misa and my commander were running towards the air raid shelter, which was between the main building and the docks. I hoped they would make it. They had to.

Everything was out of our control. The swarm of aircraft were flying over HQ, releasing their bombs if they had any. Commander Misa's fingers brushed the shelter's door as the bombs detonated. When the smoke cleared, there was nothing left. Only piles of rubble and silence remained.

The commander was gone. Commander Misa was gone. The admiral was gone. The majority of our chain of command was gone. I just stood and stared, frozen. Sadness began to fill me and I had to fight back tears. Then came the anger. This was the curse's fault. I focused on the anger. I let it consume me.

'Commander, there's something important I need to tell you!'

'What is it?'

'I've been cursed. I have been for several years.'

'What do you mean?'

'Remember the battle against Observer Zero four years ago?' He nodded. 'On the day, all of my sisters were sunk. I believe that I was meant to sink as well, but I didn't and was punished for it.'

'How so?'

'Every time I felt significant amounts of happiness, the Sirens would show up to take it from me. At first I thought it was just a coincidence but I eventually realised that it couldn't be that. I ended up concluding that I was cursed by some evil being, Sirens or demons or something like that.'

'Does this curse have a name?'

'I'm being serious! And no, of course I haven't named it!'

'Sorry, I was just trying to lighten the mood a bit. But if you haven't named it, please can I?'

'I guess...'

'How about 'The Curse of The White Fox'?'

Turning back to the Siren fleet, I spoke into my radio. 'The Sirens have dishonourably slaughtered out commanding officers!' The others were watching me now. 'We need to avenge them!' I unsheathed my katana. 'My fleet will fight Brisbane and the Arbiters and their Enforcers; Jean Bart's fleet will make an opening and distract their escorts!'

I was surrounded by cheers and battle cries as I pointed my katana in the direction of the Sirens. Suddenly, bright pinpricks of light appeared in the distance. Taihou was instantly vapourised by lasers. Our push stumbled but continued when more lights appeared. 'Evasive action!' Someone screamed into their radio.

Jean Bart's fleet did their job and allowed us to charge straight to our targets. What sat before us was Brisbane, shielded by a row of Arbiters and a second of Enforcers. There were at least fourteen of each and none were moving. We attacked, regardless.